OSU Big Ten Tournament HistoryThe Buckeyes are 14-8 all-time in Big Ten Tournament play since the event began in 1998. Ohio State is the No. 1 seed in 2011 and has won 10 of its last 13 league tournament games. As the No. 1 seed, the Buckeyes are 8-2. Ohio State has entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed five times (2000, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011).

Buckeyes Collect All-Big Ten HonorsFive Ohio State players received recognition on one of the All-Big Ten teams, announced Monday by the conference. Among the conference coaches selections, Jared Sullinger headlines the list as a first-team honoree, while William Buford and David Lighty each earned a spot on the All-Big Ten Second Team. Jon Diebler brings in a third-team nod and Aaron Craft rounds out the list with an All-Freshman Team spot, along with Sullinger. Craft and Lighty also were named to the All-Defensive Team with Craft as the only unanimous selection. Big Ten media members also placed Sullinger on the first team, Buford and Lighty on the second and Diebler on the third. Craft was slated as an honorable mention all-conference selection by media members. In addition, Dallas Lauderdale received the Sportsmanship Award for Ohio State.

Craft, Sullinger recognized with Big Ten HonorsAaron Craft was selected by Big Ten coaches as the league’s sixth man of the year. Craft came off the bench 30 of 31 games for the Buckeyes and led the squad in assists (145) and steals (64). He recorded three games with six or more steals. He played nearly 30 minutes a game averaging 6.9 points a game and shooting 46 percent from the field (70-151). Sullinger was tabbed the league’s freshman of the year after leading the Buckeyes in scoring (17.3 ppg.) and rebounding (9.7 rpg.). He was selected the Big Ten’s freshman of the week 11 times this season.Ohio State Sixth Man of the Year: 2007 Daequan Cook, 2009 B.J. Mullins, 2011 Aaron CraftOhio State Freshman of the Year: 1990 Jim Jackson, 1993 Greg Simpson, 1998 Michael Redd, 2007 Greg Oden, 2009 William Buford, 2011 Jared Sullinger

Diebler Earns Big Ten Player of WeekJon Diebler was named the Big Ten player of the week Monday after averaging 28.5 points a game in a pair of wins last week to give the Buckeyes the outright Big Ten title with a 16-2 regular-season conference record. Diebler scored a career high 30 points in an 82-61 win at Penn State where he hit a Big Ten and Ohio State record 10 3-pointers on just 12 attempts. He followed that effort with a 27-point outing vs. No. 10 Wisconsin Sunday where he hit 7 of 8 from long range. Against PSU, Diebler hit nine-consecutive 3s. He missed his first shot vs. Wisconsin and then knocked down his next seven attempts. Ohio State set an NCAA record with 14-consecutive 3s and finished the game with another NCAA record for 3-point field goal percentage (14-15/.933).

Eight Take Home Court for Final TimeEight Ohio State student-athletes and managers worked and played in their final home games Sunday vs. Wisconsin. Senior managers Chris Barrale, Bryce Crawford, Mike Flowers and Gage Will along with senior Buckeyes Eddie Days, Dallas Lauderdale, Jon Diebler and David Lighty played on their home court for the final time. Dallas Lauderdale scored four points on 2-2 shooting from the field Sunday. Lighty had 13 points and six rebounds but Jon Diebler stole the show with 27 points on 8 of 10 shooting from the field, including a 7 of 8 effort from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds and four assists in the 93-65 win over the Badgers.

Diebler’s Record NightSenior Jon Diebler scored a career-high 30 points on a career-high 10 made 3-point attempts at Penn State March 1. The Big Ten’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made (355) set the Ohio State record for made 3s in a game and tied the Big Ten single-game record as well against the Nittany Lions. He followed that effort with an 8 of 10 shooting night vs. Wisconsin Sunday. He drained 7 of 8 from 3-point range to finish with 27 points. He made his last seven 3 attempts vs. the Badgers and has hit 17 of 20 (.850) in the last two games.

Has 12 career games with 6 or more made 3s, seven games with 7 or more, three games with 8 or more, one each with 9 and 10 made.

Matta Joins Select Big Ten GroupOhio State clinched its fourth Big Ten title in the last six years under the direction of Thad Matta after the win at Penn State March 1. The Buckeyes have 19 Big Ten titles in history (1925-33-39-44-46-50-60-61-62-63-64-68-71-91-92-06-07-10-11) with 13 of those being outright titles (1925-39-44-46-50-60-61-62-71-92-06-07-11). Matta is one of four coaches in the history of the Big Ten to win four league regular-season championships over the first seven seasons as coach of the Big Ten school.

Ohio State Wins 2nd title Following departure of League’s Top PlayerA Big Ten team has won the regular season title five times the year after losing the Big Ten Player of the Year. Ohio State has done it twice. Terence Dials was the 2006 Big Ten Player of the Year for Ohio State the year before the Buckeyes won the 2006-07 Big Ten title. Evan Turner claimed the top honor in the Big Ten in 2010. The Buckeyes are the 2011 outright Big Ten Champions.

Buckeyes Return to No. 1 in Both PollsOhio State traveled to Penn State March 1 as the No. 1 team nationally and was the first No. 1 squad to win on the road since Feb. 6 when the No. 1 Buckeyes won at Minnesota. Since that game and before the recent win at Penn State, the No. 1 Buckeyes lost at Wisconsin, No. 1 Kansas lost at Kansas State and No. 1 Duke fell to Virginia Tech, all on the road. The Buckeyes are ranked No. 1 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches polls this week after spending two weeks at No. 2 in AP and No. 3 in the coaches poll. The Buckeyes were No. 1 in both polls for four weeks earlier this season. Ohio State is 67-5 when ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll and 19-3 as the nation’s top team in the coaches poll.

Sullinger Finalist for Oscar Robertson Player of the Year AwardJared Sullinger is among the 10 student-athletes selected by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association as finalists for the 2011 Oscar Robertson Player of the Year award, the organization announced Feb. 28. Purdue’s JuJuan Johnson also is among the finalists. Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Jordan Hamilton (Texas), Terrence Jones (Kentucky), Marcus Morris (Kansas), Kyle Singler (Duke), Nolan Smith (Duke), Kemba Walker (Connecticut) and Derrick Williams (Arizona) are the other finalists. Ohio State’s Evan Turner won the 2010 award. The presentation of the award this year will take place April 1 at the USBWA’s annual awards breakfast at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Final Four. The breakfast also will honor the winner of the Henry Iba Award, the association’s coach of the year and will announce the winner of the first Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Year Award.

Sullinger Finalist for Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year awardThe U.S. Basketball Writers Association selected five outstanding first-year players as finalists for the 2011 Wayman Tisdale Award, to be presented to the men’s National Freshman of the Year at a gala banquet April 11 at the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. The announcement of the winner will come at the USBWA Awards Breakfast April 1 in Houston in conjunction with the NCAA Men’s Final Four. Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger (Columbus, Ohio), Kentucky teammates Terrence Jones (Portland, Ore.) and Brandon Knight (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) join Baylor’s Perry Jones III (Duncanville, Texas), and Texas’ Tristan Thompson (Brampton, Ontario) as the 2011 Wayman Tisdale Award finalists.

Buckeyes Building Record SeasonThe 29-win total is tied for the second-most in Ohio State history for overall wins in a season. The total also is a record for regular-season wins. The 2006-07 team finished with a 27-3 record before going 8-1 in postseason competition. The 1961 and 1991 teams posted 27 victories overall. Thad Matta teams own four of the top eight and the top three oveall single season win totals in Ohio State history. The Buckeyes’ 29-8 overall record last season is tied for the second best record in Ohio State history behind the 35 victories recorded in 2006-07. Thad Matta teams have never failed to win at least 20 games.

Buckeyes set Record for Home WinsOhio State finished 20-0 at home after its most recent win vs. Wisconsin Sunday. The win total sets the school record for home wins and sets a Value City Arena record with a 19-0 record. The 2006-07 squad previously set the Value City Arena record with 18 wins in a season. The Buckeyes played one game this year at St. John Arena. Ohio State was 17-1 a season ago and is currently on a 22-game home win streak, the fourth-longest home win streak in school history.

Buckeyes achieve 2nd Perfect Home Season Under MattaThad Matta has won at least 15 home games in each of his seven seasons in Columbus. The 2006-07 squad finished with a perfect 18-0 record while the 2005-06 (16-1) and 2009-10 teams (17-1) squads each finished with a single loss at home. Matta is 119-10 overall in Columbus during his tenure after finishing the 2010-11 season 20-0 at home.

Homecourt AdvantageSince Thad Matta took over Buckeye program in 2004-05, Ohio State is 119-10 in Columbus, the most home wins among Big Ten schools. Over the last two seasons Ohio State is 37-1 in Columbus.

Craft Owns Pair of Top Theft EffortsFreshman Aaron Craft leads all league freshmen in steals (64) and assists (145) while leading the Buckeyes in both categories as well. Craft also set the Ohio State freshman record for steals in a game with seven vs. Iowa Jan. 19. That effort also was the second most steals in a game in Ohio State history, tied with the seven thefts Kelvin Ransey recorded vs. Minnesota Feb. 23, 1978. At Purdue Feb. 20 and vs. Indiana Feb. 27, Craft was credited with six steals, which is tied for the fourth-most steals in a game at Ohio State. With 64 steals on the season, Craft has the second most in a season by an Ohio State freshman. Mike Conley owns the record with 87 in 2007. In the last eight games, Craft has recorded 38 assists for an average of 4.7 a game.

Diebler Sets, builds on Big Ten RecordSenior Jon Diebler became the Big Ten’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers with a pair of triples at Purdue Feb. 20. The sharpshooter from Upper Sandusky, Ohio, has made 355 career 3s. He has averaged 2.6 made 3s a game for his 138-game career. Ohio State has a minimum of two games remaining, one each in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.

Sullinger Reaches 500There have been 29 Buckeyes all-time to score more than 500 points in a season with Jerry Lucas and Michael Redd leading the pack each with three 500-plus point seasons. Paul Ebert was the first to do so when he tallied 516 points during the 1953-54 season. Freshman Jared Sullinger added his name to the list (536/2010-11) with five points vs. Indiana Feb. 27. Kosta Koufos was the last Ohio State freshman to reach 500 points in a rookie season. He tallied 534 as a freshman in 2008-09. Evan Turner (632/2009-10) and William Buford (532/2009-10) each scored more than 500 points last season. Only Michael Redd (658/1998-99), Sullinger, Koufos and Greg Oden (501/2006-07) reached the 500-point mark as Ohio State freshmen.

Sullinger Among Naismith Midseason 30Jared Sullinger was named to the 2010-11 Naismith midseason list of the top 30 men’s basketball talent in the nation, announced Feb. 11 by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. The Naismith Trophy will be awarded at the 2011 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Houston. Fan voting via text message will account for 25 percent of all of the final results – more than any other national college basketball award. Ohio State’s Evan Turner received the Naismith Award a year ago, sweeping the national player of the year awards.

Scott, Williams Add To Ohio State’s 17-Player McDonald’s ListOhio State recruits Shannon Scott (2011) and Amir Williams (2011) were selected Feb. 10 to represent the East (Scott) and West (Williams) teams in the 2011 McDonald’s All-America game. The game will be played March 30 at the United Center in Chicago. The Buckeyes currently have three All-America game participants on their roster in Jared Sullinger (2010), Deshaun Thomas (2010) and William Buford (2008). Four McDonald’s All-Americans were a part of Ohio State’s 2006-07 squad that finished 35-4 overall, 15-1 in Big Ten Conference play, won the league regular-season title outright and played for the NCAA national title vs. Florida in April of 2007. Ivan Harris (2003), Greg Oden (2006), Mike Conley Jr. (2006) and Daequan Cook (2006), all former McDonald’s All-Americans, played for the Buckeyes in 2006-07. Previously, B.J. Mullens (2008), Kosta Koufos (2007), Clark Kellogg (1979), Perry Carter (1987), Treg Lee (1987), Jim Jackson (1989), Charles Macon (1992) and Greg Simpson (1992) all played for Ohio State after playing in the McDonald’s All-America game before joining the Ohio State program for a total of 17 all-time.

Matta Earns Another 20-Win Season, sets record for 10-Win league seasonsFor each of the last 11 seasons, all as a head coach, Thad Matta has guided teams to at least 20 victories. Only Mark Few, among active coaches, has more consecutive 20-win seasons to start a career (12). Gonzaga is 22-9 this season. Matta set the Ohio State record for consecutive 20-win campaigns in 2008-09 with a 22-11 record and extended it this season with win No. 20 vs. Illinois Jan. 22 in Champaign, the seventh-consecutive Ohio State season with 20+ victories. The previous record was four held by the 1960-63 teams under legendary head coach Fred Taylor. Matta also has won at least 10 Big Ten regular-season games in each of the last six seasons. That effort surpassed Taylor’s mark of 10+ league wins in each of the five seasons from 1960-64. Those were during 14-game regular-season slates. The Big Ten played a 16-game schedule in Matta’s first three seasons (8, 12, 15 league wins) and an 18-game schedule the last four (10, 10, 14, 16).

Buckeyes Tied 4th Best League start The 2010-11 Buckeyes were 11-0 in league play to start the season for the first time since the 1961-62 season and for the fourth time in history. The Buckeyes finished 14-0 in 1961 and had 12-0 starts in 1960 and 1962.

Ohio State Tops UCLA for Record Start The Buckeyes surpassed UCLA for the record for best start to a season after losing the National Player of the Year. The 1969-70 UCLA team took the court after losing Lew Alcindor the previous season. That squad opened the season 21-0. The 2010-11 Buckeyes started 24-0 after losing Evan Turner from the 2009-10 squad. Turner earned every major player of the year award last season. Oregon ended the win streak for UCLA, the eventual national champions that year, with a 78-65 win at Oregon Feb. 21, 1970.

Matta Has Best Record Since 2004-05 Since taking over the Ohio State program for the start of the 2004-05 season, Thad Matta has the Big Ten’s best overall record with a winning percentage of 77 percent. He also has directed the Buckeyes to the most (tie) regular-season conference wins with 85. Big Ten in Matta Era (2004-05 to present)

Lighty one of 10 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award Finalists David Lighty was named one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award in men’s basketball Jan. 26. Fan voting is underway. One-third of the award will be determined by fan voting. Coaches and media make up the other two-thirds. Fans can vote online at http://go.osu.edu/VOTE4LIGHTY. The award is presented each year to the outstanding senior NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year across nine different sports. The acronym “CLASS” stands for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®. The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award celebrates the loyalty of seniors that honor a four-year commitment to their university. The Senior CLASS Award® recognizes these student-athletes for great achievement during competition and in their community while staying in school.

Sullinger Earns FOW NO. 11Ohio State rookies have earned 13 of 16 Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week awards this season. Jared Sullinger earned his 11th freshman honor Feb. 7 after averaging 18.5 points and 14.0 rebounds in wins vs. Michigan and at Minnesota. Aaron Craft, the third Buckeye to claim the FOW honor, scored a career-high 19 points vs. Penn State Jan. 15 to earn the league honor Jan. 17. The Findlay, Ohio, native averaged 14.5 points and shot 60 percent (6-10) from 3-point range. Classmate Deshaun Thomas has the other award for the Buckeyes (11/29/10). Sullinger also has four conference player of the week awards. He is the first OSU freshman to earn the league’s player of the week honor two or more times in a season since the Buckeyes’ Greg Oden did so as a rookie in 2006-07.

2010-11 Buckeyes Own 4th-Best OSU streakThe Buckeyes have won 20 or more consecutive games four times with after the most recent streak of 24 victories to start the season. In 2006-07, Ohio State surged down the stretch in Big Ten Conference play, winning 13-consecutive regular-season league games, three conference tournament contests and 22 in a row overall before losing in the NCAA title game. The Buckeyes won 32-consecutive games over the 1959-60 (last 5 gms.) and 1960-61 (first 27 gms.) seasons and the first 22 contests of the 1961-62 season.

Matta Had Buckeyes Road ReadyOhio State has won 14 of the last 16 true road games since finishing the 2009-10 season with five-consecutive road victories and starting this season with wins at then-No. 9 Florida (11/16/10), at Florida State (11/30/10), at Indiana (12/31/10), at Iowa (1/4/11), at Michigan (1/12/11), at No. 23 Illinois (1/22/11), at Northwestern (1/29/11), at Minnesota (2/6/11) and at Penn State to end the 2011 Big Ten road season (3/1/11). The road losses in the last 16 games were at No. 13 Wisconsin Feb. 12 and at No. 11 Purdue Feb. 20. The Buckeyes had won their last 11 Big Ten road contests before the loss to the Badgers. The Buckeyes had last won 12-consecutive (14 total) road games in Big Ten play during the 1959-60, ’60-61 seasons when the Buckeyes won the final league road game in 1960, all seven in 1961 and the first six in 1962.

400 and 4,000 Club David Lighty was added to an exclusive club following the game vs. Illinois Jan. 22. The senior reached 4,000 minutes played with more than 400 field goals in the Illinois win in Champaign, where he is 4-0 as a player. Lighty has made 493 career field goals and has logged 4,389 career minutes during his 151-game career. Classmate Jon Diebler has 445 made baskets (355 of which are 3s) while playing a total of 4,451 minutes in 138 games. He reached 400/4,000 with a triple and 36 minutes vs. Iowa Jan. 19. Herb Williams (4,216) and Jamar Butler (4,213) lead Ohio State in career minutes. Williams made 834 career field goals over 114 games and 4,216 minutes. Butler connected on 420 FGs (242 3FGs) over 139 games and 4,213 minutes played. Junior William Buford has already scored 506 career field goals and has logged 3,186 career minutes in 100 games. The last Buckeye to record 500 career field goals was Evan Turner, who finished his three-year career in 2010 with 539 career buckets over 101 career games.

Matta off to Best Start to OSU Season Thad Matta has led Ohio State to its best start to a season over his seven-year tenure in Columbus (29-2). The Buckeyes started 11-0 in 2005-06. The recent 24-game win streak is the second best start in Ohio State history.

Lighty Earns Record WinSenior David Lighty has been a part of an Ohio State record 124 victories during his tenure as a Buckeye. His freshman season Ohio State won 35 games followed by 24 as a sophomore and 29 as a junior in 2009-10. Lighty is credited with seven wins at the start of the 2008-09 season, which ended when he broke his right foot and earned a medical redshirt season. The Buckeyes are off to a 29-2 start this year. Mark Titus (2007-10) and Danny Peters (2007-10) set the previous record for wins last season with 110. Lighty is the active national leader in career wins.

Sullinger Named to Wooden Award Midseason Top 30 Freshman standout Jared Sullinger was named to the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 30, announced Jan. 6 by The Los Angeles Athletic Club. Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the list is made up of 30 student-athletes who, based on their performances in November and December, are the early frontrunners for college basketball’s most prestigious honor. Sullinger is one of just two rookies on the list, joining Terrence Jones of Kentucky. Former Buckeye Evan Turner won the 2010 Wooden Award a year ago.

Lighty Joins Turner, Jackson in OSU Record BookEvan Turner (1,517 pts., 682 rebs., 414 asts.) became just the second player in recorded history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists with eight helpers vs. Northwestern Jan. 19, 2010. Jim Jackson was the only other Buckeye to do so with 1,785 career points, 552 career rebounds and 372 career assists from 1990-92. David Lighty joined the duo this season. He currently has 1,393 points, 556 rebounds and 356 assists to his credit. Only 22 players in Ohio State history have scored more than 1,000 points and collected 500+ rebounds. Lighty was added to the list with five rebounds vs. Iowa Jan. 19.

Buckeyes Comfortable at VCAThe Buckeyes finished 19-0 at home this season in Value City Arena (1-0 at St. John Arena). In home games this season, Ohio State shoot 50 percent from the field (581-1,159). The Buckeyes outscored opponents by 24.1 ppg. and had a rebounding advantage of 6.1 rpg. Only Illinois (70) scored more than 66 points at Value City Arena this season. Ohio State finished 17-1 at home last season, the third most home victories in a season at Ohio State. The team reached 100 or more points three times and averaged a margin of victory of +22.1. The Buckeyes opened the 2010-11 campaign with a 102-61 victory over NC A&T and recently defeated UT-Martin 100-40. Ohio State is 69-1 all-time when scoring 100 or more points in a game.

Ohio State Boasts Top RookiesJared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas rate Nos. 1-5, respectively, in offensive production among Big Ten freshmen. Sullinger averages 17.3 points a game while Thomas contributes 8.0 ppg. Sullinger leads all league rookies with 9.7 rebounds a game. He is No. 3 in field goal percentage (.557/191-343) and No. 4 in steals with 1.0 spg. Aaron Craft leads freshmen in steals (2.06 spg.) and assists (4.7 apg.).

Matta Reaches Double-Digit Wins vs. Non-Conference FoesThad Matta has directed Ohio State to at least 10 wins during non-conference play in each of his seven seasons in Columbus. Matta is 90-17 vs. non-conference competition at Ohio State and 95-39 vs. Big Ten foes (regular season and Big Ten tournament games) for an overall record of 185-56. In 11 seasons as a head coach (1 at Butler, 3 at Xavier and 7 at Ohio State) Matta is 99-41 vs. the Big Ten. He has winning records vs. nine league teams (10-3 vs. ILL, 9-5 vs. IND, 9-4 vs. IOWA, 13-2 vs. MICH, 8-5 vs. MINN, 10-1 vs. NW, 14-0 vs. PSU, 11-6 vs. PUR, 7-6 vs. Michigan State and is 8-9 vs. Wisconsin.

UNC Asheville, Oakland High-Lighty(s)David Lighty, a senior from Cleveland, exploded for the first 11 points of the game, helping the Buckeyes to an 11-2 lead over the first 2:45 of the game against UNC Asheville Dec. 21. He went for a season-high 29 points, setting career highs in made 3-point field goals (7), 3-point field goals attempted (10 and made field goals (11). Lighty started his 100th game of his career vs. Oakland Dec. 23 and played in his 151st career game, No. 1 all-time, vs. Wisconsin March 6. The senior from Cleveland averaged 21.0 points in wins vs. UNC Asheville and Oakland. He connected on 60 percent of his field goals (15-25) and on 10 of 14 3-pointers (.714). He shot 70 percent from 3-point-range (7-10) vs. UNCA.

Jon “3-Bler” Diebler Strikes vs. FGCUSenior Jon Diebler turned in another record individual performance in the span of three games for the then-14-0 and No. 2-ranked Buckeyes. After freshman Jared Sullinger set all sorts of Big Ten, Ohio State and personal marks with 40 points vs. IUPUI Dec. 9, Diebler followed suit making 9-of-14 3s in the win vs. Florida Gulf Coast Dec. 15. Noting Diebler’s 3-point barrage vs. FGCU:

Most 3s made at Value City Arena-9

Then-Most 3s made in OSU history-tie

Most 3s attempted in a game-14 (tie)

Then-Second most 3s made in Big Ten history-tie

Most consecutive 3s made in OSU History-9

Most 3s attempted at Value City Arena-14 (tie)

Then-Last Big Ten player with 9 made 3s was Matt Roth of Indiana vs. OSU 1/31/09

Diebler moved to No. 7 all-time in Big Ten history with 293 made 3s (now has 348), an OSU career record

Sullingerwith another record outingFreshman Jared Sullinger scored a game-high 40 points for the Buckeyes in the 75-64 win vs. IUPUI Dec. 9. Along the way, the 6-foot-9-inch Columbus native set numerous Ohio State records. He then followed that effort with a 30-point, 19 rebound outing in the victory over South Carolina Dec. 18. He has since added 16 boards vs. UNC Asheville, tied for the fifth-most by an OSU rookie in a single game.

Noting Sullinger’s 40-point game vs. IUPUI:

Most Points by an Ohio State freshman-40

Most FTs Made by an Ohio State freshman-16

3rd-T Free Throws Made at Ohio State

Most FTA by an Ohio State freshman-23

10th-T FTs attempted in Big Ten history

3rd Most FTs attempted in Big Ten history

2nd 40-pt. by a Big Ten freshman all-time

No. 17-T Single Game Scoring at Ohio State

57th time OSU player to score 35+ in a game-

Last time OSU player scored 35 or more pts. in a game was by Brent Darby (35) vs. Duke in 2002.

Last time OSU player scored 40 or more pts. in a game was by Dennis Hopson (41) at Dayton in 1986.

Last time a Big Ten player scored 40 or more pts. in a game was by Shawn Respert of Michigan State vs. Indiana, 1/11/95.

Noting Sullinger’s 30 pt., 19 reb. game vs. USC:

Fifth double-double of the season and ninth game in double figures

Tied 3rd-most points by a freshman in a game

Tied for the third-most in Value City Arena (David Lighty vs. Cleveland St., 12/22/09 and Scoonie Penn vs. Wisconsin, 2/24/99 each had 30)

19 rebounds are a Value City Arena record (Evan Turner had 17 11/12/09 vs. James Madison and 11/9/10 vs. Alcorn St.)

Tied for second for most rebounds in a game for a freshman (Herb Williams had 22 vs. Marshall, 11/28/77). Greg Oden had 19 boards vs. Purdue March 10, 2007

Defensive rebounds (14) are the most for an Ohio State freshman (Greg Oden previously held the record with 13 vs. Tennessee on 1/13/07).

Defensive rebounds are tied for most defensive boards in Value City Arena history (Evan Turner vs. James Madison, 11/12/09)

Hit first career 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the first half, giving Ohio State a 42-21 halftime advantage

Buckeyes Balanced OffensivelyAfter 31 games, Ohio State has four players, all starters, averaging double-figures offensively. Freshman Jared Sullinger leads the team with 17.3 points per game. Sullinger also is the squad’s top rebounder with 9.7 a contest. Junior William Buford is next with 14.5 ppg., followed by senior David Lighty (12.3 ppg.) and classmate Jon Diebler (12.3 ppg.). Freshman Deshaun Thomas contributes 8.0 ppg. Freshman Aaron Craft leads with 145 total assists. Senior starting center Dallas Lauderdale has 46 of the team’s 92 blocks on the year. Lauderdale also makes 73 percent of his field goals (66 of 90) while Sullinger (191-343/.557) and Diebler (117-228/.513) also connects at 50+ percent from the field. Diebler has made 95 3-pointers on the season on 186 attempts (.511).

Noting the Wisconsin Game: Ohio State 93, Wisconsin 65 (March 6)

Entering the game vs. Wisconsin, Ohio State was guaranteed its 19th overall Big Ten title and 13th outright title after Iowa defeated Purdue 67-65 last night (3/5/11). The Buckeyes clinch the No. 1 seed at the 2011 Big Ten Tournament March 10-13 in Indianapolis. They will play the winner of Northwestern and Minnesota at noon Friday on ESPN.

The Buckeyes’ 29-2 overall record is the second-best start in school history (1960-61, 27-0).

As a ranked team, Ohio State is 389-107 all-time. The Buckeyes are 37-1 at home over the last two seasons.

The 29 win total is tied for the No. 2 spot in Ohio State history for overall wins in a season with last year’s team. The record is 35 wins set during the 2006-07 season that saw the Buckeyes appear in the national championship.

The 29 wins are the most in a regular season in Ohio State history. The previous best was 27 during the 2006-07 season (27-3).

With the win over Wisconsin, Ohio State extends its home win streak to 22 games dating back to last season. It is now the fourth-longest streak in Buckeye history.

The contest vs. Wisconsin was the 66th sellout in Value City Arena history and fifth of the year. Ohio State is 53-13 in the home sellouts. The Buckeyes are 43-9 in Big Ten sellouts at home.

The 20-0 undefeated record at home this season is now the record for most home wins in a season, surpassing the 2006-07 squad that went 18-0.

Ohio State improves to 52-21 vs. Wisconsin in Columbus.

Ohio State improves to 67-5 when ranked No. 1 by the Associated Press and 19-3 as the nation’s top team in the coaches poll.

Ohio State moves to 4-2 against Wisconsin as the No. 1 ranked team.

Wisconsin falls to 2-19 all-time vs. the AP No. 1. Both wins came against the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes are 127-19 when ranked among the Top 3 in the country.

When ranked in the Top 10 nationally, Ohio State is 269-58 with wins in 60 of its last 65 outings.

Ohio State is 44-4 in its last 48 games.

The Scarlet and Gray improve to 32-3 in their last 35 Big Ten games and 23-2 in their last 25.

As a ranked team, Ohio State is 20-10 in games vs. Wisconsin and 11-1 when scoring more than 90 points vs. the Badgers.

When both teams are ranked, the Scarlet and Gray improve to 5-3 vs. the Badgers.

The Buckeyes are 82-65 vs. the Badgers all-time, with an overall Big Ten record of 717-660.

The loss to Ohio State was the first time Wisconsin has lost by double-figures this season. Their previous largest margin-of-defeat was eight points vs. Illinois and Purdue (Both games were on the road).

Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor finished the game with eight points. In the previous meeting earlier this season, Taylor led the Badgers with 27 points. Taylor’s previous Big Ten low in points was 13 vs. Penn State on 2/20/11.

The 47 points in the first half are tied for the most in a first half in conference play. The Buckeyes also scored 47 vs. Illinois Feb. 22 in Columbus.

The Buckeye freshmen have accounted for 45 percent of total scoring for the season (1,077/2,415), including 31 of Ohio State’s 93 total points against Wisconsin.

Ohio State only committed seven turnovers vs. the Badgers. They are first in the Big Ten and second nationally in turnover margin with a plus-5.5 margin.

Ohio State has the best field goal percentage in the Big Ten with a .500 (863 – 1,726).

Ohio State’s four returning starters for 2010-11 (Jon Diebler, David Lighty, Dallas Lauderdale and William Buford) have combined for 416 career starts and 521 games played.

Ohio State is the first school in Big Ten history to have two teams on separate occasions win the Big Ten regular season championship after losing the conference Player of the Year. They won the title in 2006-07 after losing Terrence Dials and again this year after losing Evan Turner (The other three schools are Michigan State, 2000-01, Morris Peterson; Illinois, 2003-04, Brian Cook; Wisconsin, 2007-08, Alando Tucker).

3-POINT RECORDS

The 93.3 percent shooting average from 3-point range sets an NCAA Division I record. The previous high percentage was 91.7 percent, set by Drexel vs. Delaware (11-12) on 12/3/00.

The 14-consecutive made 3-point field goals also set an NCAA Division I record. The previous record of consecutive made 3-point field goals was 11 set by Niagra vs. Siena (1/7/87) and Eastern Kentucky vs. UNC-Asheville (1/14/87).

The Buckeyes shattered their previous 3-point field goal percentage record for a game, shooting 93.3 percent from behind-the-arc. The previous record was .727 vs. Northwestern on 1/17/96.

Ohio State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 76 times since the shot clock was instituted for the 1986-87 season. The Buckeyes are 65-11 in those games after knocking down 14-of-15 treys vs. Wisconsin. Matta’s Ohio State teams are 52-9 when making 10 or more 3s in a game.

The 14 made 3-point field goals in a game are the sixth-most in Ohio State history (18 vs. LSU, 1/15/05 is the record).

This is the 256th-consecutive game Ohio State has made at least one 3-point field goal (1/10/04 vs. Penn State was the last game with zero made).

Ohio State shot 85.7 from behind-the-arc in the first half (6-7) propelling the Buckeyes to a 15-point lead at intermission. They improved the percentage to 93.3 after going a perfect 8-8 in the second half.

Five different Buckeyes made 3-pointers in today’s game (Diebler, Buford, Lighty, Thomas and Sibert).

THAD MATTA

The 20-0 home record is Thad Matta’s second perfect home record at Ohio State (2006-07).

Thad Matta teams own four of the top eight single season win totals in Ohio State history.

The 29-2 record to begin the season is the best start for Thad Matta at Ohio State (previous best was in 2005-06, when the team began 11-0).

This season is the seventh-consecutive year Matta has guided the Buckeyes to a 20-win campaign. That extends the longest streak in Ohio State history.

Matta has won at least 10 Big Ten regular-season games in each of the last six seasons. That effort surpassed Fred Taylor’s mark of 10+ league wins in each of the five seasons from 1960-64, records that were set during 14-game regular-season slates. The Big Ten played a 16-game schedule in Matta’s first three seasons (8, 12, 15 league wins) and an 18-game schedule the last four (10, 10, 14, 16).

Since Matta took over at Ohio State in 2004-05, the Buckeyes have amassed 85 Big Ten wins, tying Wisconsin for first in the conference.

Matta has won at least 20 games in each of his 11 seasons as a head coach. Only Mark Few (Gonzaga-12), among active coaches, has more consecutive 20-win seasons to start a career.

Matta’s career record now stands at 287-87 overall and 185-56 at Ohio State.

With the win, Ohio State is 33-19 in March under Matta and 2-0 this season.

Matta is 90-17 vs. non-conference competition at Ohio State and 95-39 vs. Big Ten foes (regular season and Big Ten tournament games) for an overall record of 185-56. He is 119-10 in games played in Columbus, which are the most home wins among Big Ten schools during that span.

With 93 points, the Buckeyes are 21-0 this season and 125-11 under Matta when scoring more than 70 total points in a game.

The 93 points are the most by Ohio State in a Big Ten game this season.

The Buckeyes are 23-1 this season and 153-20 under Matta when leading at the half … Ohio State remains undefeated at 29-0 this season and 171-5 under Matta when leading with five minutes to play.

The Buckeyes are 16-1 this season and 92-7 under Matta when shooting better than 50 percent from the field.

When shooting better than the opponent, Ohio State improves to 22-1 this season and 163-18 under Matta.

Outrebounding Wisconsin 30-26, Ohio State improves to 18-2 on the year and 106-16 under Matta when grabbing more boards than its opponent.

The Buckeyes improve to 27-1 this season and 155-44 when limiting themselves to under 15 total turnovers (Ohio State had seven turnovers vs. Wisconsin).

JON DIEBLER

Jon Diebler’s seven 3-pointers are the most ever by a Buckeye vs. Wisconsin. The previous record was six set by Scoonie Penn (2/24/99).

Diebler was 7-of-8 (.875) from 3-point range, including seven in a row. Including Ohio State’s last game vs. Penn State, Diebler has connected on 17-20 (.850) from 3-point range in last two games.

Diebler’s current 3-point field goal percentage of 51 percent (95-186) puts him in the record books as having the best single season 3-point percentage.

With 27 points against the Badgers, Diebler now has 1,449 career points, passing Paul Ebert (1,436) and Bill Hosket (1,441) to move into 18th place in career scoring at Ohio State. He is 37 points behind Jerry Francis (1,486) for 17th-place.

In his last two Big Ten contests (Penn State; Wisconsin), Diebler has scored 57 total points.

The game vs. Wisconsin was Diebler’s 138th game in the Scarlet and Gray, the third most all-time. He is one start away from tying Jamar Butler (139, 2005-08) for second.

WILLIAM BUFORD

Junior guard William Buford had 18 points, passing Jim Cleamons (1,335) for 26th-place in career scoring at Ohio State. His career total now stands at 1,338. Brent Darby is 24th with 1,368.

Buford is the career leading scorer in the Big Ten for all juniors, leading John Shurna of Northwestern by 39.

The 18 point performance for Buford is the 24th time this season he has scored in double-figures, which is second-most on the team.

Buford has scored in double-figures in 10 out of the last 11 Big Ten games.

DAVID LIGHTY

Senior David Lighty, the third player in Ohio State history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists, ended the contest with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists. Lighty’s current marks: 1,393 points, 553rebounds and 355 assists.

With 13 points, Lighty now has 1,393 for his career, passing Brian Brown for 22nd-place in career scoring at Ohio State.

Lighty has now been a part of 124 Buckeye victories during his tenure in Columbus (Lighty had 35 wins as a freshman, 24 as a sophomore and 29 as a junior in 2009-10. He is credited with seven wins at the start of the 2008-09 season, which ended when he broke his right foot and earned a medical redshirt). The previous record was set by Danny Peters and Mark Titus (both played from 2007-10), earning 110 wins apiece.

Lighty has played in 151 games as a Buckeye, the most all-time in an Ohio State uniform. Lighty also leads all NCAA active players in games played (Duke’s Kyle Singler is second with 137)

The game vs. Wisconsin marked Lighty’s 119th career start for Ohio State, passing Jamar Butler (2005-08) for fourth-place in career games started in a Buckeye jersey.

JARED SULLINGER

11-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week Jared Sullinger finished the contest with 22 points. Sullinger has scored at least 10 points in 27 of 31 games. It is also the eighth time this season he has scored 20 or more points.

With 22 points, Sullinger adds to his mark of becoming just the 29th Buckeye all-time to score more than 500 points in a season. He now has 536 in his rookie campaign. Kosta Koufos is the last freshman to reach 500 points in a rookie season (534 in 2008-09). Evan Turner and William Buford each scored more than 500 points last season.

Sullinger passed Kosta Koufos (534) for second place in scoring during a freshman season. He has 536.

Sullinger also added a team-high eight rebounds for the Buckeyes (his 9.7 average is second in the Big Ten). He now has 302 rebounds on the season.

Sullinger needs four rebounds to tie Greg Oden (306, 2007) for most rebounds in a season by a freshman at Ohio State.

AARON CRAFT

Freshman Aaron Craft had six assists. He now has 145 assists on the season to just 67 turnovers. Craft averages 4.57 assists per game, leading all league freshmen.

Buford Reaches 1,000 Career PointsOhio State boasts three players with at least 1,000 career points scored since junior William Buford reached the 96 points he needed in the 2010-11 season. With 17 points in the win vs. Florida Gulf Coast Dec. 15, Buford reached 1,000 and now has 1,338 career points, the 47th Buckeye all-time to reach 1,000. He scored 372 as a freshman and 532 a year ago for a total of 904 entering the campaign. Seniors David Lighty (1,393) and Jon Diebler (1,449) joined Ohio State’s 1,000-point club late last season. Diebler became the 45th player in Ohio State history to reach the 1,000 point plateau with 14 against Illinois March 13, 2010. Lighty reached 1,000 points with 18 vs. Georgia Tech in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. He was the third Buckeye, along with Evan Turner and Diebler, to achieve the feat last season. Lighty was the 46th player to reach 1,000 points in an Ohio State uniform.

Diebler Shatters RecordsSenior Jon Diebler already owns several Ohio State 3-point shooting records and looks to increase his career totals from long range while setting new career marks in his last year of eligibility. Diebler’s career total of 355 made 3s and single season mark of 116 a year ago are Ohio State records. He has increased his shooting percentage during each of his three years at Ohio State from 29 percent as a freshman to 41.6 percent as a sophomore and 42 percent a season ago. He is currently shooting 51 percent from long range (95-186) and is at 41 percent for his career (355-859).

Diebler is OSU, Big Ten Three KingWith four 3s in the 2010 Big Ten semifinal against Illinois, Jon Diebler, then a junior, surpassed Jamar Butler as the all-time leader at Ohio State in 3-point makes. Butler played from 2005-08 and averaged nearly 61 made 3s a season (242 total). Diebler has averaged 89 (355 total) a season over four years. Butler’s career percentage from long range ranks No. 8 all time at 37.2 percent accuracy (242-650). Diebler is shooting 41 percent (355-859) for his career. This after connecting on just 29 percent (48-166) as a freshman. He shot 42 percent as a sophomore (96-231) and made 42 percent last season (116-276). In just five seasons has a Buckeye made 80 or more 3s. Diebler has three of those after knocking down 95 to date this year, 96 treys as a sophomore and 116 last year. Diebler set the single-season record for made 3s in a season after making 11 treys in Milwaukee in the opening rounds of the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Diebler surpassed the century mark from long range with five makes in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament title victory over Minnesota.

Lighty Offers Veteran LeadershipFifth-year senior David Lighty has battled injury over his career, missing the majority of the 2008-09 season with a broken bone in his right foot and then re-injuring the same foot during off-season workouts following the 2009-10 season. Lighty has played in a school record 151 games during his career, starting 119. He was part of the 2007 NCAA Championship game, three NCAA tournament appearances, a National Invitational Tournament title (2009), two Big Ten Tournament titles (2007, 2010) and three Big Ten championships (2007, 2010, 2011) during his tenure as a Buckeye.

Ohio State vs. The RankedThe Buckeyes have an all-time record of 139-223 vs. ranked opponents in the Associated Press Top 25. That includes a mark of 56-112 vs. Top 10 foes. As a ranked team, Ohio State is 390-107 all-time. In games when both teams enter with a Top 25 ranking, Ohio State is 59-49. When ranked among the Top 10 nationally, Ohio State is 269-58 with wins in 60 of last 65 outings.

Wins Follow Buckeye Double-DoublesOhio State has had a player record a double-double (10+ points, rebs, assists, steals or blocks) in 820 games. The Buckeyes are 562-258 in those contests (.685). Freshman Jared Sullinger (10/10) last recorded a double-double at Penn State March 1.

Double Digit 3sOhio State has made 10 or more 3-pointers in a game 76 times since the shot was instituted for the 1986-87 season. The Buckeyes are 65-11 in those games after knocking down 14-of-15 treys vs. Wisconsin March 6. Opponents have made double-digit 3s 89 times and are 36-53 in those games vs. the Buckeyes. Matta’s Ohio State teams are 52-9 when making 10 or more 3s in a game. Opponents are 10-31 against Matta-coached teams when making 10 or more treys.

Sullinger, Williams Start Careers in Similar FashionOhio State freshman Jared Sullinger recorded a pair of double-doubles in his debut games as a Buckeye. He tallied 19 points and 14 rebounds in his first career game vs. NC A&T Nov. 12 and followed that effort with 26 points and 10 boards at Florida Nov. 16. He is the first freshman to start his career with back-to-back double-doubles since Herb Williams tallied three-consecutive D-Ds as a rookie in 1977. Williams did so against California Hayward (34/10), Marshall (21/22) and Stetson (18/16). Sullinger has four career double-doubles in seven games after grabbing 13 rebounds and scoring 40 points vs. IUPUI Dec. 9.

Buckeyes Know Mr. BasketballThe last four Associated Press Ohio HS Mr. Basketball awards have been earned by current Ohio State players. Senior Jon Diebler claimed the honor in 2007, junior William Buford claimed the honor in 2008 and freshman Jared Sullinger won it in both 2009 and 2010. Deshaun Thomas, another Ohio State rookie, claimed Indiana’s Mr. Basketball honor last year as a senior at Bishop Luers HS in Fort Wayne, Ind. Ohio State has had two of the last five Mr. Basketball honorees in Indiana with Greg Oden earning the honor in 2006.

Buckeyes Picked to Finish 2nd in Big TenMichigan State, Ohio State, Purdue. That is the 2010-11 order of finish the Big Ten media selected at the annual media day in Chicago in late October. The Buckeyes return four starters and welcome one of the nation’s top recruiting classes after finishing the 2009-10 season 29-8 overall and winning the postseason conference tournament, a share of the regular-season crown and advancing to the 2010 NCAA Tournament “Sweet 16.”

Feast or FamineThe four returning starters (David Lighty, Dallas Lauderdale, Jon Diebler and William Buford) from the 2009-10 season have played a combined 521 games at Ohio State with a total of 416 starts. Senior David Lighty leads that list with 151 games played and 119 starts. Ohio State has five freshmen on the roster.

Buford Works with U.S. National TeamJunior William Buford was selected as one of 20 collegiate athletes to practice against the U.S. National Team July 19-24 in Las Vegas. Buford is Ohio State’s top returning scorer from the 2009-10 campaign at 14.4 points a game. He started all 37 contests for Ohio State a year ago and will be looked to for his offense and improving defense as a team veteran this season.

Sullinger Second Recruit to Earn Naismith HS Award in Last 5 yrs.Jared Sullinger was named the Naismith High School Player of the Year March 10, 2010 by the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Sullinger is the second Thad Matta recruit to earn the award in the last five years. Greg Oden earned the honor in 2006. Sullinger, of Columbus Northland HS, averaged 24 points, 12 rebounds and nearly two blocks a game for his national No. 1 ranked high school squad, which was coached by his father “Satch” Sullinger, the 2010 Naismith High School Coach of the Year.